Monday, January 17, 2011

Episode 847: Measure For Measure It Is Then...

Paul Prescott's lecture today has pretty much convinced me that my creative project needs to be about the ending of Measure For Measure. Out of all the plays that I know in some capacity, the only other serious contender has always been The Merchant Of Venice, but I suppose in terms of working out alternative interpretations of the final scene, Measure For Measure feels to me like it offers more possibilities. Ellie mentioned this essay to me that interprets the play in light of the New Testament, which is an intriguing notion in itself, but also suggests a potential character for my own short play. Not a Bible-thumping fundamentalist (because they scare me), but just someone who approaches the ending in terms of a redemptive framework. He/She doesn't even necessarily have to be a Christian, since I suppose given the length that I'm meant to be aiming for, too much character background is just going to bog things down, I suspect. Anyway, I'm still going to try and read through all the comedies, just because I do think it's interesting to note what patterns emerge, and I can always say something about that in the accompanying commentary. Deciding on a play feels good though, so now I can really settle down to start researching and writing. Eight weeks to go!